Tag Archives: design

Special Series on Designing for Disaster | 4 | Designer Joseph Berkowitz on Making What You Have Work Better for You

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This is Convo By Design with a special series of  episodes focused on the COVID-19 pandemic from a different perspective. You already know about washing your hands and staying at home. But, staying at home has created a whole new set of unforeseen issues. Our homes were not created to serve as home, office, school, restaurant, daycare all at once. This series of episodes is designed to address the fact that most if not all of us are home weathering out this pandemic. Our homes were not designed for this and make weathering this a little bit easier.

This conversation with designer and founder of JAB Design Group, Joe Berkowitz. Joe is all about using what you have both creatively and smartly to make your space live bigger, live easier and inspire you. Once you know what you have, remove and add to find your place, and find inspiration. We could all use a little more of that right now.  Joe also shares advice for making your spaces more functional, right now.

Thank you, Joe, for your time and talent. For more about Joe and JAB Design Studio, go to J A B Interiors dot com. Thank you, Walker Zanger, for your partnership and support of Convo By Design. And thank you for listening, were it not for you, there would be no Convo By Design. We will get through this, together. And until we do, I will keep bringing you the ideas from incredibly talented creatives to make this a little bit better. If you have a question, ideas for a segment or you are a designer that wants to help, please email me at ConvoByDesign@Outlook.com. Take care of yourself and your loved ones.

Use What You Have and Make t Work For You:

  • Spaces Get Stale – Look for ways to rearrange
  • Don’t Throw it ALL Out – The art is in the edit, remove what needs to go
  • Disassemble/ Reevaluate  – Take a fresh look at it, what do you want? 
  • 20% Rule -Take Away 20% of the Accessories
  • Don’t Be Afraid of Space – Embrace it
  • Visual Vocabulary – Find what works for you, now. It can change back later
  • One Word – Functional

You Need Some Inspiration, Find it Here | 263 | WESCOVER

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I’m Josh Cooperman and this is another episode of Convo By Design with an incredible digital resource for any creator, designer or artist who wants to get some new eyes on their work.

The resource is called WESCOVER, you can find them at WESCOVER dot com and you’re about to hear from Allison Murray, Content Director at WESCOVER. This is a digital portal for amazing creative work, they connect people, places and the work.

I spoke with Allison late in 2019 and while editing the piece, I was trying to find the best time on my editorial calendar to share this with you and then things sort of made the choice for me. 2020 stared off great in SoCal design… KBIS in January, Modernism Week in February and then coronavirus happened. The most amazing thing about creative endeavors is that they are an experience to be a part of and to share with others and when something like COVID-19 strikes, it makes the sharing part very difficult. There will most likely be many more canceled events in the spring and possibly summer months. The life’s blood of creative types is the export of work and import of inspiration. This is about connections and finding new sources of inspiration one artist, designer, architect, creator, or podcaster at a time. This is Allison Murray, Content Director of WESCOVER.

That is a wrap on this episode of Convo By Design. Thank you, Allison, for your time. Thank you, Walker Zanger, for your generous support of the show and thank you for listening and subscribing to the show. If you haven’t yet, it’s easy. You can find the show everywhere you find your favorite podcasts or ask Alexa. Say, “Hey Alexa, play Convo By Design podcast.”, and she will. Until next week, stay healthy and keep creating.

Mentorship Master Class | 262 | Timothy Corrigan, Michael Berman & Genevieve Trousdale

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The reason I love doing this podcast as much as I do is because of the amazing people I meet along the way. It’s as simple as that. In this episode of the show you are going to hear from three amazing designers and tremendous people; Michael Berman, Timothy Corrigan, and Genevieve Trousdale. The setting is WestEdge Design Fair and the top is mentorship. I have had the great fortune of interviewing each of them separately but I wanted them on stage so you could hear the story about the connection that binds the three of them together. This is a story about learning, teaching, sharing and collaborating. One of the greatest gifts that come from teaching is what the teacher learns from the student. This is story is very much about that.

That’s a wrap on this episode of Convo By Design. Thank you, Genevieve, Michael, and Timothy. Thank you WestEdge Design Fair for making a public forum possible. Thank you, Walker Zanger, for your support and most of all, thank you for listening. Were it not for you, there would be no Convo By Design. Until next week, keep creating.

Design Rockstars, Rebels & Raconteurs | 261 | A Blueprint for Success

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I started Convo By Design seven years ago because I saw an opportunity to tell the stories of creators, designers, architects, artists, set decorators and others who change the way we live, build and design. I started recording panels and keynotes from West Week, Fall Market, Legends and of course, WestEdge Design Fair. After I started working with WestEdge co-founder’s Troy Hanson and Megan Reilly, the opportunity presented itself to start producing the stage. For two years now, the Convo By Design Programming Lounge has been a place to share new ideas, engage and explore the stories from inside SoCal’s vibrant world of design and architecture.

Rapidly, a new class of creators has emerged. These artisans are taking the industry to the next level through the work as well as through the stories they’re telling and the business they’re building. They are multi-dimensional. I crafted a panel called Rockstars, Rebels, and Raconteurs to showcase some of these unique personalities. This group included designers Lori Dennis and  Ryan Saghian as well as architect, Jean Brownhill. Consider this a blueprint for success and a roadmap for any new creative endeavor.

This chat was fun and covers a lot of ground so let’s get to it. Here are some of the topics covered:

Who are you? What an interesting question. Do you know? They do.

The next topic is one very near and dear to my heart, it too was covered at WestEdge and you will be hearing about it later this year on the podcast. The topic is mentorship.

The next topic is connections. So important and you’re going to hear why.

You have heard a lot about talk collaborations and you are about to hear more..this is good, really good.

Okay, we have covered a lot of ground here. Identity, mentorship, connections, collaborations… You’re about to hear about fear.  Not a topic often addressed but so important. Everyone feels it, but everyone responds differently. Here is how this group of rebels handles their fear.

From fear to drive and you’ll hear how they are connected.

From fear to drive, what could the next subject possibly be but working on the edge…

If you are going to change the business, disrupt or whatever you want to call it, you have to find your niche, locate the need, find the audience looking for what you have to offer.

From finding the need to maintaining momentum. This is a hard one. Making it to the top is one thing, staying there is another…

Finally, it comes down to blazing trails and doing things differently…

So there you have it for Rockstars, Rebels, and Raconteurs with Lori Dennis, Jean Brownhill, and Ryan Saghian. This is a blueprint for any creator looking to take their game to the next level. Special thanks to Ryan, Jean, and Lori. Thank you, Megan and Troy, thank you Erika Heet for moderating this conversation, thank you, John McClain, Kevin Isbell, Julia Wong and Nicolette Akiko for designing our stage at WestEdge. Thank you, Walker Zanger, for your support and thank you for listening, without you, there is no Convo By Design. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show everywhere you find your favorite podcasts. Until next week, keep creating.

#ConvoByDesign #Rockstars #RyanSahgian #JeanBrownhill #LoriDennis #WestEdgeDesignFair

Cutting Carbs | 260 | Cutting Carbon Emissions, Sustainable Building and Design

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I found myself at the Design Hardware on 3rd Street in Los Angeles for a conversation on building sustainability, design, and wellness. I don’t think it will surprise anyone to know that there are a growing and distinct link to be made between sustainable design and designing for wellness. The trouble with the conversations around sustainability is that it’s dry, some say dull and it can be. What is truly exciting about the subject though is what happens in the application of sustainable practices. There is, truly a revolution taking place in the design and architecture space. The focus has completely flipped on its head, in a good way. Where many would once talk about how a structure is to be used and lived in, now we talk about how to design and build to serve the people who use that structure. Design is experiential. The experience is what makes it work.

Tract Metro moderates this chat with Maria McCain from the Natural Resources Design Council, Ben Stapleton of the US Green Building Council and Real Estate pro, Erick Zumwalt. This conversation connects the dots between sourcing, sustainable design, property value and how these elements all work together.

Enjoy this conversation recorded live from Design Hardware moderated by designer and TV host, Tracy Metro.

Maria McCain | Natural Resource Defense Council

Maria McCain’s work encompasses the organization’s entire real estate portfolio. McCain analyzes NRDC’s extensive data on waste, water, energy, and travel to develop and implement strategies that minimize the organization’s carbon footprint. These strategies are also applied to internal green construction projects. Overall, McCain values a methodical and integrated approach to solving challenges. She received a master’s degree in environmental monitoring, modeling, and management from King’s College London and a bachelor’s degree in environmental and natural resource economics from West Virginia University. McCain is based in NRDC’s Santa Monica office.

https://www.nrdc.org/experts/maria-mccain

Ben Stapleton | US Green Building Council

A native Angeleno, Stapleton is a recognized sustainability leader, who brings to this position extensive experience and connections across real estate, technology, and innovation. He led major operational growth, program development, and partnerships to triple revenue for the non-profit. Simultaneously, launched and managed the La Kretz Innovation Campus in Downtown Los Angeles, most recently serving as SVP, Operations & Finance for the LA Cleantech Incubator (LACI). The Campus has become an epicenter for sustainability in the region featuring events with
prominent local, national and international leaders, while being home to a community of cutting-edge businesses and nonprofits.

HOME

Eric Zumwalt

https://www.egcrealestategroup.com

That’s a wrap on this episode of Convo By Design recorded live from Design Hardware featuring Eric Zumwalt, Ben Stapleton, Maria McCain and of course Tracy Metro. Thank you Design Hardware for hosting and putting on such a great event. Thank you, Walker Zanger, for your generous support and of course, thank you for listening. If you haven’t already, subscribe to the show everywhere you find your favorite podcasts. Until next week, Keep creating.

What’s My Line | 259 | How to Create and Take a Design Product Line to Market

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Resetting the scene for you, the WestEdge Design Fair was held, as it is every year, at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. These conversations were held in the Convo By Design Programming Lounge with custom designs from John McClain, Studio Akiko, Isbell Interiors and Julia Wong Designs. This conversation was transformative for a number of reasons. Interior designers, many if not most, want a line to call their own. That signature line not only creates an opportunity to do business outside of the design studio but it is considered by many to be a legacy proposition, something that extends beyond the design work.

As such, I wanted you to hear from power players in the space, and you are about to hear that conversation featuring Sue Firestone of SFA Design, Arch Interiors, Christopher Grubb, photographer, Gray Malin, designer Xander Noori, and designer Leslie Shapiro Joyal. This group was expertly questioned by journalist and editor, Alex Abramian. This group brings some serious firepower. Enjoy and be inspired.

Sweeten Your Design | 258 | Jean Brownhill

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You listen to Convo By Design for a few reasons, I have been told, and 2 of those reasons are to find inspiration and hear the stories of designers, architects, futurists and creators responsible for the direction of design in So Cal and beyond. I have an amazing guest in Architect, founder and CEO of Sweeten, Jean Brownhill.

Brownhill’s story is a complex one full of long shots  successes and uphill battles. A women who is disrupting the construction space by attempting a massive change in the way the business is done. I want you to know that I use the word “disrupting” carefully and with purpose. Because that word has become overused with regard to business changing the status quo and because simply changing something isn’t enough, it has to be positive change or what’s the point? 

Brownhill is addressing some common issues and attacking those issues with thoughtful strategy available via Sweeten, a company that matches clients with vetted contractors in a transparent ecosystem that incentivizes the trade to remain on good terms and Sweeten is compensated through commissions on work transacted within that ecosystem. While I have not experienced the service myself, I like the idea because it provides all parties with positive motivating factors for doing things the right way. That would make Brownhill and Sweeten a truly disrupting company. And regardless of how you feel about that idea, what cannot be denied is that a woman… of color… an architect… in  the construction space… who has raised millions of dollars in VC funding… does make Jean Brownhill a unicorn. She is one of very few, this is her story.

Convo By Design is presented by Walker Zanger….A remarkable company and an equally remarkable design partner.  While the Walker Zanger brand was built on the promise to inspire designers and architects to do their best work, there is far more to it than that. Yes, that promise is fulfilled everyday through a commitment to provide the best ceramic, glass, stone, porcelain, quartz and concrete surfaces and finishes but at the heart of this is a family owned and operated business that provides stunning surfaces for a well designed home.  Walker Zanger started in 1952 and they are absolutely one of the best trade partners a designer can have. Check out their newest collaborative line with designer Pietta Donovan. A collection of Cement and Ceramic tiles inspired by the the patterns and colorways of the 1970’s and created with a comfortable modernity. Walker Zanger is on the cutting edge of design featuring products for every style and architectural feel you can create and they provide homeowners with the materials that dream kitchens and baths are made of. Check out any of their 14 showrooms across the country or shop online, Walker Zanger dot com.

That is a wrap on this episode of Convo By Design featuring Jean Brownhill, this was recorded at the WestEdge Design Fair in Santa Monica in October 2019. Thank you for the time Jean, thank you Walker Zanger for your generous support of the show and of course, thank you for listening. Without you, there is no Convo By Design!  Until next week, keep creating.

Epic Spaces & Favorite Places | 254 | Bringing Inspiration Home

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This is a conversation from the WestEdge Design Fair called Epic Spaces and Favorite Places… Here’s the idea… Online access has made the world a smaller place. It has brought us closer together and created the opportunity to see amazing things in wonderful and far away places. For some, that’s just not good enough. Travel, treasure hunting and using that as inspiration to create magnificent spaces is their true desire. This is a conversation about amazing places in exotic places and bringing it home moderated by USModernist.Org founder George Smart and featuring, Assembledge+ David Thompson, Massimo Buster Minale from Buster and Punch, interior designers Alison Pickart and John McClain and Fettle’s Tom Parker. This is a great chat about design, inspiration, travel and putting it together in pursuit of epic spaces!
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#design #inspiration #travel #Assembledge+ #BusterandPunch #JohnMcClain #AlisonPickart #USModernist

The Future of Real Estate for Those That Love Design | 250 | SUPRSTRUCTUR

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I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design… with an episode featuring a company proposing a new concept in architecturally significant real estate. While this is not a new idea, theirs is a new approach. I sat down with Jack Byron Founder & CEO and Charlie Byron, Founder and Marketing Director. We discussed the business and we also talk about the challenges that face the design and architecture communities here is Southern California as it relates to the availability of architecturally significant properties, their value, scarcity and the value of the dirt underneath them. When the dirt is worth more than the structure, treasures will be lost, and they are, at a na alarming rate.

This is an interesting idea when you consider that the company was not created to drive pure real estate deals, it was created to specialize in design differentiation, significance and specialty.

Jack and Charlie know if what they speak. Jack has worked for Sir Norman Foster, Phillipe Starck and Dame Zaha Hadid while Charlie worked in marketing shops for brands like BMW, Google, Hulu and Procter & Gamble. So, understanding that Real Estate is equal parts passion, psychology, commodity and marketing, these two understand the basis for founding a company like this. In this conversation, you will hear each concept explained as it relates to this endeavor, they is Suprstructur.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Convo By Design. Make sure you subscribe to the show and follow us on the socials so you don’t miss any of the latest developments in So Cal architecture and design. You can also ask your smart device to play it for you, just say, “Hey Siri, play Convo By Design.” Thank you again for listening, until next week, keep creating.

Inimitable Style From Inside Out | 246 | Alison Palevsky

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Alison Palevsky, interior designer and art consultant spoke with me about the career reboot, the pivot. She started her career as a talent agent trainee, for three years before realizing that was not what she wanted to do with her life. Alison shares her experience working with and for Trip Haenisch, Oliver Furth and Martyn Lawrence Bullard. This is more than a coming into ones own in the industry. This is about a focus on what one truly wants to be and then going out and getting it.

This is about the reboot, refocused energy and attention on what you really want to be and then going and getting it. This is Alison Palevsky.

#Palevsky #ConvoByDesign #Design #Architecture #LosAngeles